Syndicate

COSATU

September 25 — Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal reposted from Socialist Project — The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) Special National Congress in December 2013 resolved: “There is no chance of winning back the Alliance to what it was originally formed for, which was to drive a revolutionary programme for fundamental transformation of the country, with the Freedom Charter as the minimum platform to transform the South African economy.”

May 1, 2015 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Today we march in concert with millions of workers all over the world to celebrate International Workers’ Day. We stand with workers in Greece, in Syria, in Bangladesh, in Argentina, in Zambia, in Canada and in every other country of the world to pronounce our determination to step up the struggle against exploitation and oppression. For while the global elite get richer and richer, the working class continues to be condemned to poverty.

In standing together against exploitation we also gather to celebrate our past victories. This includes the victory of the working class in South Africa in winning May 1 as a paid public holiday in 1994. This was not given to us on a plate. It was a struggle started in 1904, intensified in the 1980s, and finally won immediately after our first democratic election.

But apart from a few verbal sallies from non-governmental groups,
there has been silence from South Africa. And this should be deeply
worrying to those who are concerned about deepening democracy on the
continent and in ensuring that a wealthy, often corrupt — if not
entirely melanin deficient — elite do not continue to dominate.

COSATU's highly respected national spokesperson, Patrick
Craven, announced his
resignation, after Vavi's expulsion noting: 'I could not defend the indefensible.' Several
other senior COSATU figures are also discussing whether to take a
similar step."

April 6, 2015 -- Terry Bell Writes, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal with permission -- The fact that COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has refused to
accept his dismissal from the federation should have come as no
surprise to readers of this blog. This column has pointed out for months
now that the central executive committee (CEC) of COSATU has no
constitutional authority to finally dismiss, suspend or expel any office
bearer or affiliate; that only a national congress may do that.

March 31, 2015 -- United Front, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal-- As expected, yesterday the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) decided to expel
Zwelinzima Vavi from his position as its general secretary. The United
Front (UF) regards this decision as the final nail in the regrettable
terminal decline of what was once a mighty, principled, independent and
militant federation of workers’ trade unions.

On March 14, 2015, King Mswati’s police broke up a meeting of the
executive board of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), and
injured a union leader who was taking part. According to TUCOSWA leaders and the Swazi Observer, more than 300
plainclothed police forced participants to end the meeting in the
Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Centre and blocked the
gates to the building. TUCOSWA has reported that Muzi Mhlanga, SNAT
secretary general, was assaulted and had to seek medical care.

NUMSA national treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo'saddress to the Australian Workers Union, Australia

March 3, 2015 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- I greet you in the name of the National Union of Metalworkers of
South Africa (NUMSA). I am here to give you an update since our general secretary, Irvin Jim, addressed your 2013 conference. I am happy to
report that, despite the shrinking of South Africa's manufacturing
sector, NUMSA has continued to grow.

In 2013 we reported to you a membership of 300,000. Today it stands
at 360,000. We are the biggest union in the history of the African
continent. Despite massive deindustrialisation in our country, during
which hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs have been destroyed, NUMSA's membership has grown by nearly 65% over the last six years. NUMSA
is truly a dominant force.

The key development since Comrade Jim's address to you in 2013 was our Special National Congress at the end of 2013.

March 1, 2015 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- South Africa continues to be ravaged by the crisis of poverty,
unemployment and inequality and the black and African working class are
its worst victims. Black working class women and youth are in a state of
hopelessness, desperation and despondency. Increasing numbers of school
leavers are swelling the accumulating pool of the unemployed.

We are fighting for a militant, independent trade union movement

The congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is in a state of paralysis and that has given our government
an opportunity to pursue its neoliberal policy direction, as articulated
in the National Development Plan. This was not going to be easier for
the state if the federation remained the militant defender of the
working class that it has been throughout its history.

The leaderships of the eight unions have consistently refused attempts to
turn COSATU into a passive and non-campaigning federation. We have
rejected all attempts to get COSATU becoming a conveyor belt and an
apologist of neoliberal policies.

January 28-30, 2015 -- Real News Network, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- In this three-part interview, Irvin Jim, leader of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) -- the largest trade union in South Africa with 340,000
members that is calling for a
return to the principles of the Freedom Charter -- describes his early life and radicalisation and explains why his union withdrew its support for the governing African National Congress (ANC).

Workers must build a united front to implement the Freedom Charter,
which includes participating in electoral politics, and fight for socialism. The workers movement
can't just be about marching, he says.

A Venezuelan government statement said: “Venezuela warmly
congratulates the Syriza coalition party and Alexis Tsipras for their
historic victory, wishing them success and complete solidarity and
support.”

Venezuela's foreign minister Elias Jaua tweeted: “The Greek
people, after a long and historic battle against neoliberalism, has
crowned itself a wonderful victory. Syriza is fresh air for Europe!”

January 11, 2015 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal-- Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA), South Africa's largest trade union, has toured the United States to report on the fight for socialism in South Africa. He delivered this presentation on January 11, 2015, at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199 offices in New York City.

December 17, 2014 -- COSATU, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- A response to comrade Jeremy Cronin and an open
letter to leaders and members of the South African Communist Party
(SACP), by Zwelinzima Vavi (pictured), general secretary of the Congress of South
African Trade Unions (COSATU).

After reading Comrade Jeremy Cronin's public response to my address
on 21 November 2014 at the ceremony to mark the 40 years of the South African Labour Bulletin on
the topic "Is the labour movement at the turning point?", I was
convinced that a public debate was necessary, not just with comrade
Jeremy but with the entire leadership and membership of the SACP. I am
doing this not just as a General Secretary of COSATU but also as a
member of the SACP.

The long-awaited process of building a new united front of radical forces in South Africa proposed and supported by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has kicked off with a meeting on December 13-14, 2014. Below is the declaration issued by the meeting. Read more about recent developments in South Africa HERE.

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Declaration of the Preparatory Assembly of the United Front, Johannesburg

December 14, 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Globally we are experiencing the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s. Wars and counter-revolutions stretch from the Middle East to the far-east to Africa and the Americas. Imperialism knows no constraint. The devastating ecological and climate crises are caused by a predatory capitalist system that is endangering the very existence of humanity.

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) responds to the "Exposed: Secret Regime Change Plot to Distabilize South Africa" document

December 3, 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Over the last 10-days, a document that alleges that NUMSA leaders are involved in an underground plot to destabilise South Africa has been doing its rounds. The document which is entitled "Exposed: Secret Regime Change Plot to Distabilize [sic] South Africa" names two elected national officer bearers of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), Irvin Jim and Karl Cloete as the kingpins of the plot (see here in PDF).

Speech by Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), to mark the 40th anniversary of the South African Labour Bulletin

November 21, 2014 -- COSATU, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- First let me say congratulations to the South African Labour Bulletin on its remarkable achievement of 40 years of uninterrupted critical publishing. Thank you for the honour of this invitation. For 40 years you have provided a voice to the voiceless; you exposed the brutality of the capitalist system that continue to brutally exploit workers; you have created space for policy debates that shaped the policies not only of trade unions but of the liberation movement as a whole.

November 20, 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- In December 1985, millions of oppressed and exploited in South Africa and indeed across the world celebrated the birth of a giant of the working class, the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU).

Forged in struggles on factory floors, mine shafts, farms and homes of the rich across the country, the independent trade union movement became a powerful expression of the unity of the working class. COSATU embodied the principles of workers’ democracy and unity, fought for improvements in the lives of ordinary workers and played a leading role in the struggle against apartheid and for socialism.

On the eve of its 30th anniversary, COSATU’s rich legacy of independent workers’ struggles is being torn asunder. The expulsion of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) by the leadership clique of COSATU threatens the very existence of the federation.

November 13, 2104 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi (pictured above) was absent from the COSATU media briefing on November 11, in the aftermath of the November 8 expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA). In the letter below, he explains why.

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Letter from COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi to the COSATU affiliates and others, November 11, 2014